While some students choose Penn State for the football games, the party scene, or alumni connections, IMPACT dancer Logan Connolly came to Happy Valley for a different reason: THON.

Watching her cousin battle leukemia growing up, Connolly saw first-hand the importance of community and how an organization like THON can make real, tangible changes in the lives of families battling cancer. Connolly said she has always participated in initiatives to raise money and awareness for cancer research, so getting involved in the largest student-run philanthropy dedicated to this cause was a no-brainer.

“Even since I was a kid, I’ve donated my hair, and this cause has always been something I’ve been fighting for,” Connolly said.”

When Connolly first got to Penn State in 2022, it was her older brother who encouraged her to join the THON special interest organization IMPACT. Now serving as the vice president of the organization, Connolly has had the opportunity to connect with THON families directly and use her passion for this cause to spearhead fundraisers and THON events. She shared how this year’s THON has a whole new meaning since the passing of IMPACT member Amanda Magenheim, who died last year due to a severe asthma attack.

Connolly shared how grateful she is that her brother shared her similar fire for THON, and encouraged her to join IMPACT.

“IMPACT is my home, and I’m so glad that my brother pushed me to join it because this organization has truly changed me as a person. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he even danced his junior year. I’m dancing my junior year as well, which makes it really special.” 

Connolly said that her first THON will be a memory she will always remember, as she had the opportunity to be on the THON floor to watch the dancers stand and to learn the Line Dance with the entire BJC. Finding out that she was selected to dance in THON Weekend 2025 was a moment that brought Connolly to tears, as her lifelong dream was finally coming true.

She shared that in addition to dancing for her brother, Magenheim, and all of IMPACT, what motivates her to dance in THON Weekend 2025 is to fight for every parent to see their child hit all of life’s most memorable milestones. 

“I just want to see an end to cancer, because no family should have to go through losing a loved one, especially so young,” Connolly said. “These children have so much ahead of them, like driving a car for the first time, going to their prom, and things like that. I can’t imagine parents not being able to experience that and see their kid reach these milestones growing up.” 

To prepare for this weekend, Connolly highlighted how mentally preparing herself was just as important as getting ready physically for these 46 hours. She explained how simply talking to her roommates and family members about her nerves for the weekend allowed her to refocus and boost her confidence for dancing. Their words of affirmation were vital in reminding Connolly why she wanted to dance in the first place. 

During the low points of the weekend, Connolly finds inspiration in the reason for THON Weekend: the kids. Whether it’s seeing them playing together on the floor or remembering the hardships that they are going through, it allows Connolly to put her own discomfort into perspective, and dance her heart out FTK. 

“Whenever I find myself feeling down, I just look at the kids. I’ll see them shooting people with water guns, and it just puts a smile on my face,” Connolly explained. “And even when they’re not on the floor and I’ll be in pain, I just know that there are children experiencing a pain that I will hopefully never know. But it’s helpful to just keep in mind what we are doing for this for. We are doing it For The Kids and for the cure.”